Ray Epps was a federal agent who incited January 6
| Ray Epps was a federal agent who incited January 6 | |
|---|---|
| FALSE | |
| "Ray Epps, a Trump supporter filmed urging people to go into the Capitol, was an FBI agent or informant who instigated the January 6 attack." | |
| Domain | Politics & Elections |
| Tactic | Conspiracy Theory |
| Era | Current |
| First seen | 2021 |
| Origin | The website Revolver News, Fox News host Tucker Carlson and some members of Congress, beginning in 2021 |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-30 |
| Further reading: books on Politics & Elections | |
Ray Epps, a former Marine and Arizona resident, was filmed on January 5, 2021, saying people should go into the Capitol, and on January 6 near the barricades. After the FBI briefly listed him among people it sought to identify and then removed his photo, claims spread that he was a federal agent sent to provoke the riot.
The claim became one of the most prominent false flag theories about January 6.
What the evidence shows
- Not an informant. The FBI said Epps was never an informant or employee. The House January 6 committee interviewed him in 2022 and found no evidence he worked for the government.
- Charged and sentenced. In September 2023, Epps pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly or disruptive conduct on restricted grounds. In January 2024 he was sentenced to one year of probation.
- Consequences. Epps said threats forced him and his wife to sell their home and move. In 2023 he sued Fox News for defamation over Carlson's coverage.
Why it matters
The theory deflected responsibility for January 6 onto a supposed government plot. The man at its center was prosecuted for his own role, which is hard to square with being an agent.
Sources
- US House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack, interview transcript of Ray Epps, January 2022.
- Associated Press, "Ray Epps, a target of Jan. 6 conspiracy theories, gets a year of probation for his Capitol riot role," January 9, 2024.
- CNN, "Ray Epps sentenced," January 9, 2024.